pop culture
Modern popular culture topics in the geek sphere.
Golden Age of Superhero Movies 1938 - 1988
There are more than the few and the proud as the genre is born with a KA-POW! Adam West's Batman's warm smile and the soaring theme of Christopher Reeve's Superman followed by a barrage of sequels were part of the birth of The Golden Age of Superhero Movies from 1938 to 1988.
By Patricia Sarkar9 years ago in Geeks
5 Comic Book Movies that Combined Two Characters into One
With the rise of Comic Book movies, film studios are granted access to an immense library of characters. More often than not, directors and screenwriters take the elements of some of these characters and implement them into another for their vision. Here are five examples that, intentionally or not, combined two characters into a single one for their cinematic debut.
By Joachim Heijndermans9 years ago in Geeks
'The East' Finds Balance Between Environmental Terrorism and Legally Holding Corporations Accountable
The East pits environmental terrorism against the corporations that fully deserve the wrath their actions engender. Caught in the middle, Jane (Brit Marling) is a freelance intelligence officer for the private intelligence firm Hiller Brood and is eager to make her mark. Although her journey can’t help but blur the lines between the letter of the law that protects the powerful and those willing to mete out justice as they see it.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Geeks
The Golden Age of Movies Teaches Us that Cary Grant Can’t Be Taught In 'The Philadelphia Story'
For you beginners out there – pay attention – Cary Grant has opened his playbook in another golden age movie. The Philadelphia Story provides more lessons for all of us trying to temper our heart’s palpations in pursuit of the joy and the pain, while making getting the girl look easy.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Geeks
xXx: The Return of Xander Cage Review
I am reviewing the action films xXx, xXx: State of the Union, and xXx: The Return of Xander Cage starring Vin Diesel. Eve, Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson, Tony Hawk, Mike Vallely, Carey Hart, Mat Hoffman, Josh Todd, Rammstein, and Dario Argento's daughter star in this 2002 action film produced by Emmy Award nominee Neal H. Moritz with a budget of $70 million.
By Alejandro Guillú Mendoza9 years ago in Geeks
'The Bad News Bears' Remembers a Time When We Didn’t Smother Kids with Child Psychology
Picture this, a little league baseball team packed 10 deep in a convertible - three perilously hanging out the back. Add Walter Matthau pouring vodka into an open container, while jockeying back and forth in a manner befitting 10 year old boys, and you have The Bad News Bears. God Bless America, 1976-style.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Geeks
Top 10 Judge Dredd Stories
Set mostly after the Atomic Wars of 2070, the population of the USA is contained within three enormous mega cities, one on each coast – east, west and the Gulf of Mexico – and each home to about a billion citizens. The only thing that prevents civilization from descending into chaos and destroying itself is the savage arm of the law. Called the Judges, they are the police and they are the military. 2000AD also features many other characters in totally different scenarios, but its main star is one particular Judge, Joseph Dredd, who serves in the huge Mega-City One that covers the entire eastern seaboard.
By Scott Snowden9 years ago in Geeks
Best Superhero Catchphrases
Superhero catchphrases say a lot about a character. They represent the character’s origin and who they are as a person. Depending on the character, their catchphrase could give them their powers or just small doses of comic relief. The most feared and powerful superheroes in Marvel and DC history also have some of the most popular superhero catchphrases.
By Patricia Sarkar9 years ago in Geeks
History of the Wilhelm Scream
Frequently used in situations where someone falls from a great height or is shot or possibly even blown up, its unique shriek usually reflects the unpleasant death of a sacrificial subordinate in a tense scene, thus serving as stark reminder to both the audience and the protagonists of the seriousness of their situation.
By Scott Snowden9 years ago in Geeks
Mel Brooks' 'High Anxiety' Is Still a Welcome Relief
Mel Brooks' filmmaking career has been a continual source of amazement and amusement for me. Highlighted in The Producers, the unique combination of sophisticated wit and Yiddish vaudeville that inhabit his brilliant comic mind materialized in Brooks’ brilliant yet often erratic films. The manic hilarity of the 2,000 year old man and the distinctly crazy sense of humor that established Brooks as a legendary comedy writer and presence transferred often in a visually shocking way. Mel Brooks' distinct method of transferring his madness into movies became his signature calling card.
By Mike Mavenful9 years ago in Geeks
